Shen Lingshan was taken aback.

The sudden twist of events left her head buzzing. She had graciously offered to accompany Lin Ran for a meal, yet he didn’t seem too thrilled about it. This was completely different from what she had expected!

At that moment, other classmates resting in the hallway turned their curious gazes toward them.

Shen Lingshan often came to find Lin Ran in Class Ten and usually asked him to run errands, which had become quite normal. However, today, for some reason, Lin Ran didn’t readily agree to jump up and fulfill her request. The atmosphere grew a bit awkward.

With so many other classmates observing, Shen Lingshan felt her pride starting to slip away.

After all, she was the class beauty in Class Seven, and there were plenty of boys in her grade who pursued her. Whenever she asked for help, someone would be eager to assist.

In her eyes, giving Lin Ran the chance to run errands was a privilege for him. But now, the obedient tool she thought she had seemed to be developing a backbone, suddenly refusing to comply.

Frustrated, she stamped her foot and exclaimed, “Are you going or not?! If you don’t go, then I’ll—”

Halfway through her threat, she realized she had no leverage to threaten him with.

Since their acquaintance, Lin Ran had unconditionally given to her, while her contributions were minimal—just some playful teasing and affectionate words here and there.

She couldn’t very well threaten him with something like, “I’ll stop being cute with you from now on!”

Seeing Shen Lingshan at a loss for words, Zhao Ke couldn’t help but grin. “What will you do? Can’t think of anything, huh?” he teased.

“When you’re with him, it’s always Lin Ran doing all the dirty work without any benefits. What right do you have to threaten him?”

Shen Lingshan felt a mix of embarrassment and anger. “I—”

In a moment of desperation, a spark of inspiration hit her, and she blurted out, “Got it! If you don’t go, I’ll revoke my promise to consider holding your hand! You’ll never have a chance again!”

Having said this so quickly, she felt a wave of relief wash over her, and her spirits lifted again.

They hadn’t had any physical contact since they met.

Lin Ran had once mustered the courage to ask if they could hold hands, but she had brushed him off, saying she needed to think about it. She intended to use the “holding hands” thing as bait, giving him a glimmer of hope while squeezing more favors from him, and maybe one day, if she felt generous, she’d give him a little reward.

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It turned out her tactic was working well. Even that half-hearted “promise” had Lin Ran over the moon, treating her with utmost care for months, terrified that he might annoy her and lose his chance.

Now that she brought out this trump card, she was confident he would comply.

Lin Ran was indeed taken aback. He remembered. After being strung along by Shen Lingshan for two or three years, they had only held hands twice, and that was right before graduation. According to her current statement, their first hand-holding hadn’t happened yet.

Which meant...

Was his slate still clean?

The surprise hit him like a bolt from the blue! He looked at Shen Lingshan with genuine gratitude and said, “Thank you.”

Not holding hands was something he wouldn’t forget easily. Having been reborn, how could he let such an important moment be tarnished by a flirt?

Thank goodness that horror hadn’t happened yet!

“Huh?” Shen Lingshan was momentarily confused, unsure of the meaning behind his gratitude. But soon, she interpreted it as Lin Ran giving in, which only made her prouder. “Scared, huh? If you’re scared, hurry up! I want a Magnum ice cream, and if you take too long, don’t even think about holding my hand for the rest of your life!”

Lin Ran grinned widely. “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t go!”

The air suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Shen Lingshan was stunned. Coming back to her senses, she became anxious and angry. “Did you even understand what I said? If you don’t go buy the ice cream, I won’t hold your hand!”

Lin Ran nodded vigorously. “It’s a deal, no take-backs—no holding hands for life, right?”

He even made sure to confirm one last time.

At that moment, Cui Qianqian also grew agitated. “Lin Ran, do you even understand human language? What Shen Lingshan means is, if you don’t go buy the ice cream, you’ll never get to hold her hand!”

Her voice was a bit loud, drawing the attention of nearly all the students in the hallway. Seeing Lin Ran and the visibly frustrated Shen Lingshan and Cui Qianqian, the onlookers understood, glancing at Lin Ran with added sympathy.

Lin Ran must have upset his goddess again, being scolded in front of everyone.

Just then, a cold and pleasant voice cut through the air.

“He definitely understands.”

“But you two, do you not understand human language?”

Like a goddess descending from above, the school’s recognized ice queen, Su Qingyan, stepped out of the back door of Class Ten, her long legs striding with an air of authority, as if she were stepping on the hearts of all onlookers with every step. Her ponytail danced behind her, exuding a chill and stunning beauty.

She approached Shen Lingshan and Cui Qianqian, positioning herself protectively in front of Lin Ran as if shielding a chick.

Su Qingyan looked down at Shen Lingshan from her nearly 1.7-meter tall frame, her expression frosty. “Lin Ran said he’s not interested in you.”

“Are you still here clinging to him? Don’t you feel ashamed?”

This declaration stirred up a storm.

The hallway erupted in astonishment!

All the students gaped at Su Qingyan, unable to believe she was defending Lin Ran.

Su Qingyan remained unfazed, maintaining her cold demeanor as she glared at Shen Lingshan, who was almost half a head shorter and was sweetly beautiful.

In the previous life, she had read all of Lin Ran’s diaries and effortlessly recognized the girl standing before her. She knew exactly how much emotional damage this seemingly sweet girl had caused Lin Ran.

Just recalling the sad words in his diaries was enough to ignite a fire of fury within her!

This wasn’t just a matter of justice. It felt like watching her own little treasure being gnawed on by a wild boar.

In that moment, Su Qingyan’s exterior remained as icy as ever, showing no more emotion than usual. Yet inside, her miniature warrior was already donned in armor, brimming with rage.

How dare someone else touch the man she cared about!??